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The 2012 Euro 2012 qualifiers resume this week after the usual long international football summer break in Europe. We are roughly half way through the qualifying process and most big European teams are aiming to secure their participation to the tournament co-organised by Poland & Ukraine asap, hence the importance of this week’s matches. Germany v Austria (kick-off 20:45) Germany could become the first team to qualify for the Euro 2012…

Czech Republic v Turkey – 10 October The Czech Republic come into their penultimate Group A game secure in the knowledge that they will be playing in the finals. Group A’s surprise package Iceland means that Turkey and the Netherlands have been pushed back to content for a play-off spot, meaning that two of the continents stronger teams may not even make it to France. Turkey can confirm a play-off place with a game to spare if they can extend…

Belgium v Israel – 13 October Israel slipped to fourth behind Bosnia and Herzegovina after losing at home to Cyprus at the weekend and must now win and hope the Bosnians drop points in Cyprus in order to claim a play-off place. However Belgium have a five year unbeaten record in qualifiers and the young, dynamic side will be aiming to continue to perform going into the Euros after disappointing in Brazil last year. It doesn’t help…

The qualification process for the 2012 European Championship in Poland and Ukraine is finally over an all eyes will now turn to the group stage draw for the finals. Tuesday’s second leg clash of the play-offs marked the end of the qualifying campaign, as Croatia, Portugal, Czech Republic and Republic of Ireland secured their ticket to the finals to join 10 other nations who advanced from the group qualifiers, as well as the two host…

Finland v Holland Finland take on Holland which should technically be a home venue, but is being played on a neutral ground in Germany’s Olympstadion. The Oranje are coming off the best form in their life, and are now undefeated in all 7 games of their campaign and looking to make it 8 in a row tonight with a win over their opponents Finland who are sitting towards the lower half of the table. For Holland, van Persie, Sneijder, Huntelaar…

With Euro 2016 around the corner, this week brings the next round of qualifiers. We take a look at some of the more interesting fixtures below. Cyprus v Wales – Thursday 4th September It’s been awhile since Wales qualified for the finals of a major international tournament. In fact they’ve only done it once, and that was many decades ago. Currently Chris Coleman’s side are sitting pretty at the top of Group B, and they need just two wins…

Poland have appointed local Franciszek Smuda as coach in place of sacked Dutchman Leo Beenhakker. Having missed out on a World Cup berth and qualifying automatically as hosts for Euro 2012, Smuda’s first competitive game is more than two and a half years away. Smuda, who is the national team’s 44th coach, has a contract until the end of the European Championship in which Poland are guaranteed an automatic place as co-hosts with…

A coach should have a detailed plan for every group match. Franciszek Smuda, 63, has been leading the national team for 25 months. – In the clubs he used to be adamant. He worked hard for a great respect and recognition, because he focused on the work with the team and he wasn’t interested in nothing else – says Marek Koźmiński, 46-time representative, a silver Olympic medalist from Barcelona from 1992, who played over 100 matches…